10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 27, 2016

My core values demand that I get outside often enough to experience the real world, rather than what I see while watching football. While out in my neighborhood, I saw what I believe was a Sharp-shinned Hawk take a pass at one of Rochester’s exotic white squirrels , which turn up this time of year like clockwork. How about you?

2016 135

2016 Squirrels New York Birds 135

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2020

When Hurricane Isaias blew through upstate New York earlier this month, I found myself hunkered down indoors at home in Albany during the nearly all-day downpour. “The Common Striped Squirrel (Palm Squirrel) Funambulus palmarum on a Tamarind Tree” from Oriental Memoirs, Vol.

India 174

India Squirrels North America America 174

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2015

I had racked up only twenty-odd species, all of which I’d have to be blindfolded to not see if I spent a year in New York City. I picked out a Red-tailed Hawk bearing a squirrel away to a perch to eat, and got a sharp, crisp view of the messy dismemberment despite the gloom. And the brightness was fantastic.

New York City 156

New York City Squirrels New York Owls 156

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2013

Much like Carrie’s recent experiences being hoodwinked by non-bird sources of birdy-sounding calls , I’ve had my share of animal encounters out in the field. In New York and Chicago, they’ve been pretty mundane—a White-tailed Deer here, an Eastern Cottontail rabbit there.

Nevada 181

Nevada Coyotes Rattlesnake Chicago 181

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2018

New York City apartments don’t allow feeders to be hung from fire escapes (though I know certain birders that skirt that rule), and it wasn’t until I had already been birding for four-and-a-half years that I obtained a small yard in central New Jersey in which I could place a feeder or two or three. I came late to bird feeding.

Birds 182

Birds New York City Squirrels New York 182

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2016

Coming from Niagara Falls, New York, it also means freezing, bitter cold, watching for imaginary Polar Bears while pretending to walk through an Arctic landscape, and looking for owls. This year, visiting Niagara Falls until January 6th gave me the chance to experience a bit of both latitudes. Another year, another list.

Costa Rica 101

Costa Rica 2016 San Antonio Sparrows 101

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2011

Perhaps you’ve had the same experience. Kah Wai [link] Share Your Thoughts « If You Think Squirrels Raiding Your Feeders Are Bad News… Where Are You Birding This Third Weekend of March 2011? Cats Are Still Public Enemy Number One, For Birds The New York Times and Tweety have it absolutely correct.

Costa Rica 150

Costa Rica 2011 Birds Deer 150